Challenge
by Shy Whisper Of Life
Summary: Small collection of unrelated one-shots concerning several of the Konoha kunoichi.
1. NejiSakura

**(A/N: This was just a random idea that popped into my head after reading the '100 themes challenge' list thingy. I have two more ideas like this one, just one shots, but using some of the 100 themes. I don't know if I'm going to try to do them all, but I liked the idea of this one. It was fun to write. ^^ I know the focus changes throughout the story, but I think all my writing is like that, so please don't flame for that. I will probably change the genre and characters as I post more themes.**

**These will be updated sporadically, as I get the inspiration, so I'm going to go ahead and post this as complete.**

**Theme: 'Kick in the Head'  
Genre: Humor  
Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or the game Twister)**

Twister

"Left hand red." The black haired young man drawled as he wondered how he had managed to get roped into the 'game'.

He had just been minding his own business, observing the clouds, when he was approached by…_**them**_. He'd almost been asleep, too! How rude could _they _possibly be?

**Flashback**

The shouting had almost made him scream in anger. And he never screamed! Normally, he would roll onto his side and sigh. Today, however, he stood. "How troublesome."

The voices sounded like two grown men. Who could possibly be yelling like they were?

The boy moved to find the source of the voices.

"I will use the POWER OF YOUTH! This time I shall surely win this challenge, or I will run five hundred laps around Konoha backwards!"

"Whatever."

"This time it is your choice! Choose your challenge wisely, my rival!"

"Twister."

The boy paused. The scene he had come across consisted of two men standing in the middle of one of the training grounds. One was clad in a green jumpsuit with orange leg warmers around his calves. His bowl cut black hair was cut short, but still draped over the tips of his ears. His unzipped green vest covered the top half of the jumpsuit, while his Konoha ninja band was wrapped around his waist.

The other was wearing darker clothes, less obviously a jumpsuit; it was a navy blue color. His green jacket was zipped and seemed far more mature looking. His hair was silver, and his Konoha ninja band was around his forehead, one side dipping to cover his left eye. The suit continued up the man's neck and covered all of his face execpt his right eye and forehead.

They were Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. The 'eternal rivals' and they were at it again. Everyone remembered the rock-paper-scissors incident. The boy shivered.

When he had first seen them, Gai had been in his 'good guy' pose, but as soon as the word 'twister' left Kakashi's mouth, his pose drooped slightly.

"Twister?" The older green beast of Konoha seemed confused.

"Yeah. Twister. I challenge your entire team to a tournament of Twister. No chakra allowed." Kakashi smirked. Or, at least, the boy thought he did. It was hard to tell with the mask over the silver haired man's face. He turned and looked straight into the forest. "Shikamaru, will you kindly be the judge?"

Said boy suddenly found himself at sword point. Figuratively, of course, but Gai-sensei was liable to shout until Shikamaru's head hurt, and then some, if he disagreed. But still... "I don't particularly care to-"

Kakashi interrupted. "All you would have to do is sit somewhere, spin the spinner for color, and watch to see who falls first. Other than that, you could just sit and relax." The last sentence was what had gotten him.

"Fine." He drawled. "Troublesome people."

**End Flashback**

So, here he was, watching as teams ten and seven made fools of themselves at their senseis' whim of a challenge. "Right hand green." Of course, green was on the entire other side of the floor mat. They were in the final round; the only contestants left were Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Neji.

Neji, coolly arrogant that his flexibility from the Hyuuga Clan's technique –Jyuuken– would allow him an easy win, made the first move.

Sakura, a pink haired medic ninja with chakra enhanced strength – she was furious when she found that chakra was not allowed in the match– had a confident stance as she made the following move.

"Right foot blue." He almost let out a chuckle as he watched the pink haired medic nin struggle to get her foot to the blue circle without toppling over.

Neji was almost just as fun to watch. His hair kept falling in his face and made looking at the circles very tough. As he struggled to see, he leaned downward, trying to find a blue circle on which to place his foot.

Successful, Neji stretched to put his foot on the circle, determined to beat Sakura, else he would have an ear full on how he was far more 'youthful' and should have beaten 'the beautiful cherry blossom' easily. Or at least, Shikamaru assumed that was why Neji was currently leaving his cool demeanor behind to look foolish and play a game of Twister with team seven.

"Left hand…" Shikamaru paused, almost laughing, "…green."

From the groans of the two currently in play, he knew they were going to have trouble with the command. After a few precarious situations –in which Sakura and Neji teetered after pushing as hard as they could off the ground with their left hands and trying their best to balance on a leg and a foot before finally getting their hands on a green circle– Shikamaru spun the arrow on the spinner once more before saying another command.

"Left foot yellow."

Both ninja had been with their stomachs to the ground, on opposite ends of the mat. They had slowly moved toward the center as the game progressed.

Sakura was twisted like a pretzel, unsure how she was still standing. Her arms and right leg were beginning to tire, so it was a relief to have another leg to put weight on. She kicked out to shift her balance onto the yellow circle, but hit something else with her foot before almost collapsing, to which she panicked to place her foot in the right place.

"And the winner is… Haruno Sakura." Now he **was** laughing. It had been hilarious to watch; as Sakura moved, she kicked Neji in the side of the head. The kick had unbalenced and momentarily stunned him.

When he fell, Gai-shouted. "Why? Oh, Neji-kun, my prodige! Why did you fall? Your youthfulness should have given you such balance!"

Kakashi merely smirked, knowing that his team was better at Twister in the first place, all because of their random movements –like kicking people in the head.

Sakura jumped up from the mat. "Cha! I knew I could beat him!" She laughed and helped Neji up. "Good game, Hyuuga-san."

He just glared at the one who dented his pride. Never again would he accept a 'training session' having to do with Twister.

Shikamaru just laughed again at the exchange and declared team seven the winners, then watched as Gai pulled team ten out of the room to run laps around Konoha.

**(A/N: I told my friend this would center around playing Twister and since she absolutely loves Sakura's character, I asked her who she wanted to kick. She told me it was Neji. So, Neji and Sakura were the finalists. This was just a random idea that came from a very hyper mind.)**


	2. Hinata

**(A/N: Back again! This time, with a short little drabble. Don't really have much to say today, except for the fact that school is a tree killer and I have to lug at least 16 pounds of books every day.**

**Theme: Drowning  
Genre: Tragedy  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.)**

Drowning

It is dark. There is no light anywhere. Her lungs are screaming for air, but she can't seem to find any.

Where is she? _I'm_… It takes a minute for the recollection to arrive…_in Mizu no Kuni. _

They had been travelling on a boat across the ocean. It was a rather small boat, since they were only a four man cell; therefore, it was easy to lose a passenger in the storm. It had been chaos.

She had fallen on deck. The waves swept her away, much to the terror of her companions.

She had originally been petrified, worrying that she would never make it home. Never see her friends again. Never see her family again.

Now, though, she is in pain. Her eyes won't open. Her brain refuses to function. Her heart is racing. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows she should try to calm down; she could live longer that way. Her body is quickly using up all her stored oxygen.

Her chakra can't save her; no longer can it be focused in any way. Her motory senses have all but shut down, all of them but the nerves that can feel pain. She is feeling light headed. Her raven colored hair floats around her head.

Tomorrow, her team will find her body washed up on the shore of Mizugakure, but for today, her pain is all that she can feel. She can't think of tomorrow.

Water, Hinata's element, should be able to save her. But instead, it is killing her.

**(A/N: Very, very short. But I like it. Hasta luego! Ciao! Ja ne! Good-bye!)**


	3. ShikamaruTemari

**(A/N: Very AU ish. I had an idea for this one as soon as I saw this prompt. It hit me, and I was like "OMG I have to go ahead and write this!" So I did. This is my second one-shot/story that does not center around Hinata. **

**Dedicated to: Naruphonia13**

**Theme: Love  
Genre: Romance  
Rating: K  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bath and Body Works [but I do own some of their lotion!])**

Love

August twenty third was officially the worst day of her life. First of all, she had to arrive at Konoha that day, after several days of travel through the desert. Then, before she could even shower after the long, hot days, she was forced to go report at the Hokage Tower.

As if to make matters worse, her boyfriend showed up. Her sandy blonde hair was messier than she'd like to think, and she hadn't been able to shower since she left Suna.

Finally, August twenty-third was her birthday and her lazy genius of a boyfriend hadn't even wished her a happy one. He had, however, seemed nervous about something.

She reported her arrival to the Hokage and made her way to the embassy headquarters. There, she changed into a fresh set of clothing after a long, cool shower.

Feeling refreshed, she walked to the door of her suite of rooms. Her keen senses kept her from stepping on a small bag lying at the entrance to her quarters. Warily, she observed it, then deemed that it wasn't a threat.

The present was somewhat small, but it was heavier than she would have expected for such a small package. Carrying it inside her apartment, she set it on the coffee table. There was a card attached to the bag, and when she looked at it, she recognized her boyfriend's handwriting.

"Dear Temari," she read aloud, wondering why Shikamaru hadn't just handed her the present when he had seen her. After all, sitting it at her doorstep took more energy than giving it to her when she ran into him at the tower. Maybe he would explain in his letter, she thought as her eyes continued to roam the page.

_I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. I have something I would like to discuss with you, so could you please meet me for dinner tonight at that fancy restaurant you always want to eat at? If you have plans, then don't open the present yet, and let me know before tonight. If I don't hear from you, I'll be at the restaurant at six. Your present is a continuation of my letter, so if you'll come to dinner tonight, I'd love to talk to you about it. _

Temari smiled in confusion, wondering what the Nara had planned for that night. She didn't have any plans for dinner, and she couldn't wait to be able to talk to him, so she decided that she would go.

She gently peeled apart the seal on the bag and drew out a bottle covered in tissue paper. The bag smelled like it had come from her favorite store, Bath and Body Works. Shikamaru was the only one who knew that store was her favorite, so she knew that he had picked it out by himself.

She shuddered when she thought of his gift to her in the first year that they dated, a long skirt that had been picked out by his mother because he hadn't had a clue what to get her. _He should have known that I don't wear skirts!_

Pulling her mind back to the present in her hand, she pulled the tissue paper away from the bottle and gasped.

His last sentence finally made sense!

In her hands she held a bottle of lotion, but it was the name of the lotion that made her heart flutter.

_P.S. I love you_

She let out a choked laugh as she thought about his nervousness from earlier. It was a cheesy gesture, but sweet all the same. There was no way she would miss that dinner with him.

**(A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I had a ton of fun writing Love. I couldn't think of any other way to end it without making it absolutely cheesy, so I just left off there. R&R if you'd like. I love reviews, but I'm not begging.)**


	4. NarutoSakura

**(A/N: This oneshot is a NaruSaku, very different from what I usually write, but I tried. (: It also contains spoilers for those who are not caught up through chapter 469. I skipped one of the choruses to make the story flow better. The song is Invisible by Disciple. It's one of my favorites, and when EchoUchiha requested this NaruSaku, it immediately came to mind.**

**Dedicated to/requested by: EchoUchiha**

**Theme: Can You Hear Me?  
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Romance  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: No ownership of Naruto is located here.**

Can You Hear Me?

_You've got my attention  
There's no need to hurt yourself this way.  
You think no one'll notice  
How you're feeling when you cry yourself to sleep.  
You feel stuck on the outside  
Looking inside  
Wishing this life wasn't your life.  
And you think you're damaged way beyond repair._

He had been alone for as long as he could remember. When he had first entered the academy, he had immediately wanted to be the loudest, the one who could draw the most attention.

He used to think he was worthless, especially after being told he was a monster for his entire life.

He had thought no one cared for him, and without someone to tell him differently, he sank into depression. He had cried himself to sleep for years, hoping someone would notice, before realizing that no one would care. He didn't think there would be a way to repair the damage he had done to himself, especially after realizing that he was treated completely different from the other children of the village.

_Well, you're not so far that I can't get to where you are._

The first time Haruno Sakura met up with Uzumaki Naruto, her first impression of him was that he was a loud, obnoxious blonde. She had no desire to get to know him. After all, her mother and father treated him badly, so there must be something wrong with him.

They worked and learned under the same roof for all their years in the academy, though. She got to know him more than she would have liked, and realized there was nothing extremely wrong with him. She wondered what made her parents treat him the way they did.

_You wish you were someone else,  
Every night you fall to pieces  
Knowing you can't save yourself.  
I can see you, I can hear you.  
There's a place where the broken go,  
There's a room full of second chances.  
You're not stranded on your own-  
You're not invisible._

One night, after they had been made into a genin team, Sakura dropped by his apartment to give him the kunai he had left at the training ground.

It had been a quick training session, and they had split off just as quickly. She had lovingly followed Uchiha Sasuke, their other team member, not caring that Naruto hung back and walked home alone.

But she had noticed something glinting on the ground as she left, and their sensei, Hatake Kakashi, had told her to return the kunai to Naruto. After much arguing and coercing, she had agreed to do so.

Making her way to the door of the apartment, she raised her hand to knock before pausing. From within, she heard what sounded like choking. Wondering what was going on, she listened closely to the sound.

She began to make out the short, nearly silent sobs from behind the door. "I can't help myself, so I should help my team get better," his whispered words carried through the door.

Realizing the internal struggle he was battling, guilt washed through her heart.

The place he went was home, because he was broken.

Maybe she could offer her friendship, give him a second chance.

Nodding her head in affirmation at the idea, she laid the kunai on the mat outside his door, knocked, and left without waiting for him to answer. She knew he wouldn't want her to see him at his worst. "But," she silently resolved, "I will not leave him stranded all alone anymore."__

I need you to listen  
There's no need to hold it all inside.  
The smallest whisper, I hear it,  
When your strength has all but died.  
I need you to believe Me, can you trust Me,  
That what you see is not what I see?  
The reflection in the mirror's telling lies.

That experience had changed her entire outlook on the blonde boy, she realized several years later. Sasuke had left the village, broken her heart, and nearly broken Naruto's spirit. She had foolishly begged Naruto to bring the Uchiha back.

Naruto had failed, and nearly died because of her. She needed him to believe her when she told him later on that his promise was void. She didn't want him to risk his life any more. She needed him to trust that she knew her own heart.

He had been called a monster for his entire life, but she had never seen him as such. Even when he had been cloaked in the Kyuubi's chakra, he had not truly been a monster.

He had told her before that, when he looked into the mirror, he saw only a monster. He wouldn't believe her when she told him she saw a powerful, kind, light-hearted warrior.__

Cause nothing you have done can change how much I love you.

To convince him to give up on bringing Sasuke back, to make Naruto realize that she didn't need him to keep his promise anymore, Sakura approached him to confess. She told him, in the middle of the icy bite of winter, that she loved him.

She was rejected because he thought she was lying. Naruto knew she was lying, and back then, she thought she was.__

I can see you as you're falling on your knees  
You're not invisible to Me.  
You're not invisible.

Now, as she is watching him persevere, still trying to save the best friend and rival he has ever known, she wonders why it took her so long to realize she really does love her teammate. Had she truly been lying when she had confessed so many years ago?

She doesn't think so anymore.

She had watched as he had donned the Kyuubi cloak and attacked Kabuto. She had even intervened and been injured herself.

She has seen him at his worst, and trains even more to help keep him away from that.

She knows that it still pains Naruto that he had nearly killed her on that mission. She knows that he will never truly be the same happy-go-lucky kid around her again, also.

It has taken her so many years of watching his pain for her to realize that she really doesn't care about Sasuke anymore.

When she is finally able to admit that she loves him, it is at his weakest hour. He has just been beaten by the Uchiha – _again,_ she thinks – and he falls to his knees.

He is sobbing, but the raging storm masks the fact. He lets a deep growl resound in his chest: a growl of frustration and pain. As the Uzumaki moves to stand, his form wavers, before falling to the ground. Lying there, he just seems to give up.

Sakura walks over to him, kneels by his side, and gently runs her hand through his hair. As he turns his head to look at her, she smiles. Before, her smile had been one of brokenness, but today, it is one of healing.

"Naruto, please forgive me. I should never have put such an impossible task on your shoulders."

From his prostrate position on the ground, the Kyuubi Jinchuriki gives the girl a bitter-sweet smile. "But you love him. I'll do everything I can to get him back for you."

The girl shakes her head, her pink hair seeminly floating in the stormy winds. "I loved him, Naruto-kun. Not anymore. Now, I love someone far more worthy."

The spark of hope that lights in his eye as she begins to speak, also begins to fade as she finishes. "Who's the lucky guy, Sakura-chan?" He asks, not even realizing that she has changed the suffix of his name to something more personal.

"You, Naruto-kun," she admits, wondering if, this time, he will accept her. "I've seen you when you are at your most viscious and frightening, and when you are at your most kind. You are always giving to me, and I have never seen you more clearly than I do now."__

You're not invisible to Me.  
You're not invisible to Me

"You have never been invisible to me, Naruto-kun," Sakura admits amid the sky's tears, both her and Naruto becoming soaked in its sadness.

She watches his sky blue eyes as they widen. "You've seen what the Kyuubi can do, Sakura-chan. There is no way I could put you in that kind of danger. Besides, you don't really love me. You just want to get over him." Neither of the remaining original team seven ever speaks Sasuke's name anymore.

Sakura thinks back on how she felt when she had first confessed that she loved Naruto. "At one time, yes, that was true. I don't know when it changed. But I could honestly live my entire life happily if I never see him again." Hoping this is true, the girl smooths down the slit skirt of her outfit. It does no good, but it is a force of habit that she is loathe to break.

"It's dangerous to love me," the orange suited ninja claims, avidly wondering if she truly does love him. Shamefully, he thinks that if she does, the danger will not matter to her, and she will continue to persue him. _But that would end with her hurting, and for her sake, I hope she turns away from me._

"I told you, I have never seen you more clearly than I have today. I trust you with my life _and_ my heart, Naruto-kun. Please don't doubt me."

Before her eyes, the boy seems to gain new life. He smiles, despite the torrential downpour of rain, and realizes that he has finally found his second chance.

**(A/N: I hope you enjoyed this, and I also hope this was to your liking, Echo! R&R, if you don't mind.)**


	5. SasukeHinata

**(A/N: So, here's the next oneshot in Challenge! I know that Hinata doesn't stutter as as much as I made her in this one-shot, but I figured "How many people who stutter and have low self confidence could stand up for themselves and save a traitor's life without stuttering even more than normal?" So that's why I made her stutter so much.)**

**Dedicated/Requested by: EchoUchiha**

**Theme: Abandoned  
Genre: Friendship  
Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.)**

Abandoned

Blearily, he opened his eyes to darkness. A crash of thunder jerked him completely awake as he realized that he was in the middle of a storm and needed to move to cover.

Groaning as he tried to lift himself from the ground, he recognized that he _could not_ move.

Then, he realized that he was not being rained upon, and he was near the mouth of a shallow cave. The rock around him was deep grey in color, meaning they were somewhere near Kawa no Kuni*. A dim light shown out of the corner of his left eye, probably a lantern.

The sharp sound of an intake of breath sounded above his head, making him wish that he had the ability to twist his body to see from whom it came.

"Y-You really sh-shouldn't try t-to move un-until you're c-completely h-healed," the person stuttered in a very soft, feminine voice.

"What do you want?" He demanded coolly, sensing the air around him as best he could for any murderous intent. He found none, but that didn't mean that he was safe yet.

"Wh-What is the l-last thing y-you re-remember?" The voice questioned in return. He was nearly positive that it was a girl's voice, and it sounded very familiar, but he couldn't place it.

His raven colored hair fell across his pale forehead, and he sighed in annoyance. _She had better not be one of my fangirls._ He growled when he felt her familiar chakra move closer to him. "Look, girl, just tell me what you want and leave. I don't care who you are," his caustic tone made the girl pause for a half a moment. She must have deemed that he was harmless in his current state, though, because she continued to move forward.

She paused by his side, still out of his range of vision. He listened to her clothing shuffle as he assumed that she knelt beside him. A slim, gentle hand brushed his bangs away from his eyes.

"Y-You were i-injured after f-fighting U-Uchiha M-Madara. H-He abandoned you in the m-middle of the f-forest to heal on y-your own, but I-I don't th-think he re-realized th-the extent of d-damage with which h-he truly l-left you," here she paused, as though looking around. Then, she continued, "Y-You sh-should have d-died,"

"And you expect me to thank you for saving my life?" He laughed a dark laugh. "That's pitiful, even for one of my fangirls," after his mocking sentence, he sensed a change in the girl behind him. "Yeah, I know exactly what you are, you pitiful girl."

"You know nothing about me," she spat sharply, then spluttered apologies for her rudeness. "Y-You really sh-shouldn't a-assume things of wh-which you y-you know n-nothing, Sasuke-san," she finished quietly.

"Who are you, and what do you want? For the last time, answer me," Sasuke demanded with a steel-edged tone.

"H-Hyuuga Hinata. I-I pulled y-you into th-this cave a-as it w-was starting t-to r-rain. N-No one deserves t-to die, e-especially wh-when off th-the battle f-field,"

He could suddenly see the girl in his mind. She had short, midnight colored hair, with bangs framing her face. Her white eyes were usually downcast, and she was nearly as pale as the moon. "You're a fool. What if I had attacked you the moment I awoke?" He sneered.

"Y-You are t-too i-injured to m-move. I-I checked to m-make sure you w-were unconscious, th-then ch-checked your w-wounds as b-best as I could," she explained her reasoning.

"Hn," he said, and the storm was the only sound once again. As the silence stretched on, the Uchiha began to contemplate what he would do if she left.

A crack of thunder split the air, and the girl's chakra faltered in its steady path for a moment.

It was obvious that he would not be able to heal himself, as it had been obvious to the Hyuuga, but he didn't actually want her around. "How were you able to watch my fight?" He wondered aloud, hoping to draw her into conversation long enough for her to heal him so that he could leave.

"I-I-I didn't a-actually s-see it," she said, stumbling over her words more than she had been. "Y-You w-were m-mumbling about i-it i-in your sl-sleep." From what he knew of her, she was probably blushing shades of red that he hadn't seen since he left Konoha.

"Aren't you going to try to make me return to Konoha with you? To make Naruto happy? Or has he already rejected you?" His questions had begun as sincere, but he couldn't resist adding a bit of cruelty to keep her away from him.

"Y-You don't really c-care. I-I'm not going to d-drag you b-back because I-I know that y-you'll just l-leave again, or be e-executed for your c-crimes. I-I can't s-see how it w-would h-help anyone."

"Then heal me and let me leave," he demanded.

"I-I can't j-just heal you a-and let you l-leave, though. I-If I h-heal you, y-you will leave the m-moment I-I'm done. I-I'll heal y-you wh-when this storm is over, a-and we can p-part ways the m-moment that h-happens, Sasuke-san."

His voice dropped to a menacing tone as her statement registered in his brain. "You will heal me now and let me decide that on my own, or I will kill you," he ordered. He heard movement near his side, and the shadow of the young woman leaned further over him.

"I-I will do n-no such thing," she stated, seemingly unfazed by his threat, but he could hear the wavering tone in her voice. "Wh-While you were unconscious, y-you," here, he could actually see the shades of red that flew across her face in the dim light of her small lantern, "asked m-me t-to t-take c-care of y-you. I-I'm s-sure that y-you were n-nearly delirious with f-fever, b-but y-your base i-instinct w-was to f-find a w-way to pr-protect your b-body." She cast her gaze across the boy, out into the torrential downpour.

"Hn." His eyes followed hers, despite his lack of ability to move his body. "What are you doing out here with no one else? Shouldn't you be with your team?"

Her gaze moved to her small lantern and the pack that was on the ground beside it. "I-I was ordered to c-continue moving w-with the scroll which we were to deliver when m-my team was c-cornered by e-enemy ninja. K-Kurenai-sensei threatened t-to r-report me for i-insubordination wh-when we got b-back if I-I didn't continue w-without them. I-I w-was on m-my way b-back to Konoha wh-when I f-found you. I sent K-Kurenai-sensei a message e-earlier to l-let her know th-that I had completed th-the mission, and she and m-my team are w-waiting where we sp-split up. I-I'm supposed t-to meet th-them at s-sundown tomorrow." She shifted further into the light, so that he could see her clearly for the first time.

She had changed from when they were gennin together. Her once-short hair reached down to her mid-back, and she had shed her thick, brown parka-like jacket for a hoodie. Her skin was still the same pale shade, but he noticed that she didn't blush as plainly as she had before, with her distinct lack of it upon speaking to him in that moment.

Suddenly, she stood, once more glancing out into the rain. Nodding to herself, she bent down toward Sasuke. "I-I'll heal y-you now. B-By the t-time I-I'm done, th-the rain will b-be over. I'll n-need t-to r-remove your sh-shirt so I-I can h-heal your br-broken r-ribs," she explained, not looking him in the eye as another flush crept across her dainty cheekbones.

He nodded, knowing of her crush for his once-friend, Naruto. She wasn't trying to take advantage of him. She could, however, be preparing to kill him instead of heal him. He was taking a risk, but when hadn't he taken one?

The chakra that flowed into her hand shortly after his shirt had been removed was a healing one, so the youngest living Uchiha relaxed and stared at the rain, eager to leave the oppressive cave and its memories of Konoha behind.

The Hyuuga heiress pulled her hand away from Sasuke's prone form and observed him as he stood, testing the healing chakra she had applied to his weary, torn muscles. "I won't kill you," he said, stepping into the lightly drizzling rain outside the cave.

As though Hinata had planned to be done at the same moment as mother nature, the rain ceased.

The ground was covered in mud puddles, and the summer air was so humid that steam was rising from them as the cloud cover broke. Tree leaves silently dropped heavy droplets onto Sasuke's head as he looked about.

As the Uchiha was about to disappear from sight, he allowed a murmered "Thank you, Hyuuga," to pass his lips.

Then he was gone.

**(A/N: Nothing much to say, night all!)**

***Kawa no Kuni – Land of Rivers)**


	6. KibaIno

**(A/N: So… I'm getting ready to go on a trip, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to work on the last one of these that has been requested by Echo. I'll do my best, but I make no promises about posting the next chapter of Challenges before next Sunday.**

**Dedicated to/requested by: Echo Uchiha**

**Theme: Dog  
Genre: Humor/Romance  
Rating: K  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Neither, sadly, do I own a dog/puppy/anykindofpet.)**

Dog

"Are you sure that is the dog you want, Ino-san? He's the most unruly one of the entire litter," the saleswoman beside the display of puppies informed her.

"But he's so adorable! I've never seen such an energetic puppy before!" Then platinum blonde replied.

"If you're sure," the woman trailed off as the younger girl eagerly looked up. Her sky-blue eyes were slightly disconcerting, despite their familiarity.

For proof of her dedication to getting a pet, her parents had made the sixteen year old Yamanaka volunteer in a pet shop for one full year before they would allow her to own one.

When they had realized that she would not give up her goal of owning a puppy, they had given in several months early and given her the money to go out and buy a small dog of her choice.

After the money and pup were exchanged, Ino hugged the small animal to her chest, gently clipping the leash to its collar.

_Now, maybe I won't be so lonely. All of my friends are dating except for me. _Ino thought in a resigned manner.

Uzumaki Naruto, on whom Ino had possessed a crush for nearly a year, had just admitted to dating Haruno Sakura. His bright blonde hair and cerulean eyes were dreamy, but she had never been able to convince him that she really wanted to date him.

Sakura, with her bubble gum-pink hair and emerald green eyes, was a girl whom he had liked for several years. Once she had admitted to liking to hang out with him, he had asked her out.

Much to Ino's unending displeasure.

Her already strained friendship with the pink haired young woman had nearly completely dissolved. _She knew that I liked Naruto, but she agreed to date him anyway!_ Ino fumed.

Sabaku no Temari was dating Nara Shikamaru. Hyuuga Hinata was dating Uchiha Sasuke. Tenten was even dating, for goodness sakes! No body had ever thought it could happen, but the tomboy had finally scored a date with Hyuuga Neji, Hinata's cousin.

Ino was the only single girl out of all the ones who took the Chunnin exams together, so she felt like she deserved something to help her cope.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The moment she got the dog back to her home, located over the Yamanaka flower shop, she knew she hadn't made the right choice. In the five minutes she had been home and let him roam around his new home, he had managed to pee on the carpet in the family room, scratch the wooden flooring in the kitchen, and overturn the leftovers sitting on the table from her mother's late lunch.

Of course, she loved the cute pup! It was adorable, but still rather young; this meant that it was untrained. Out of all of the jobs that she had completed in the pet shop, dog training had been one of the few things she had not done.

She sighed, knowing she would have to call in a personal dog trainer. Quickly putting the dog into a carrier and shutting the cage door on the animal, she hefted it all the way back down the street to the pet shop.

Immediately upon entering, she encountered the young woman with whom she had worked for most of the year. "Do you happen to know any dog trainers?" She asked calmly, trying not to scare the small bunny that was lounging beside the pair.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, equally calm. "We often work with the Inuzuka family. They give us their training abilities, and we give them a portion of the profit from the sale of the dogs. You decided on that puppy before I could tell you that they hadn't been in to train him yet."

Ino winced in something akin to apology. "Do you think you could call them up to send someone over to my house? I would pay them, since I've already bought the dog. I mean, I have money of my own from my part time job," she babbled.

The other woman, several years her senior, laughed and motioned for the younger girl to stop talking. "Of course. I'll have them send someone over right away, if that's what you'd like," she promised, still laughing.

Ino smiled brightly, her sky colored eyes shrinking in delight. Turning with a wave, she watched the older woman pick up the phone before fleeing home to await the dog trainer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He looked into the Yamanaka Flower Shop curiously. This was the address he'd been told, but it was a shop, not a home. Unless the shop had an untrained security dog, there would be no reason for them to call.

He shrugged, walking through the door into the coolness of the building. "I was told there was a dog that needed training at this address?" He shouted when he saw that the room was empty, somehow managing to make it into a question.

At first, he heard nothing, but his above average hearing allowed him to hear the distinct squeal of a chair on a wooden floor above his head before several pairs of feet scrambled down a set of stairs.

Two of the pairs seemed to scrabble at an uncanny pace, while one seemed to be running slower, behind the others.

It hit him that it was the dog and its owner that he was about to meet, just before the door behind the counter swung open.

A small, brown furball shot under his feet, nearly unbalancing him for a moment before he swooped down and caught it under the belly. The dog squirmed in his hands for a moment, but it stopped moving the moment he put both hands under it to cradle the animal to his body.

A blonde woman with crystal clear eyes soon followed the brown bundle. "I'm so sorry. I would have been here sooner, but he left me a present right under my kitchen table," she explained, glaring pointedly at the puppy. "I assume that you're the trainer,"

"Yep!" He grinned toothily, hoping that his strangely sharp teeth wouldn't frighten her as he deposited the small animal in her arms. He knew that his wild hair and tattooed cheeks normally turned clients away from him. They were both typically family traits, which was why they worked through the pet store, instead of the door-to-door way.

As he observed his client, she didn't seem frightened in the slightest. In fact, if he didn't know better, he would have said that she seemed rather interested in his attire.

Honestly, he could have said the same for her. Her plum colored shirt and skirt left little to the imagination, yet they were not incredibly revealing. The skirt, reaching her mid-thighs, had a slit cut through the front, showing black shorts underneath. The shirt, reaching only the bottom of her ribs and leaving her midriff unhidden, was sleeveless and similar to a turtleneck sweater in its neckline. Her platinum hair was tied into a high ponytail, but her bangs were left to cover her right eye, while pinned back with a barette to leave her left clear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The dog trainer was a very rough looking individual. His brown hair was spiked in all directions. His canine tooth on the upper right side was more like a fang than a tooth, sticking out of his mouth in a dog-like manner. His cheeks, tattooed with upside-down red triangles, showed no hint of the summer heat outside.

His jacket, also showing how unconcerned with the weather he was, was coal black with long sleeves. Almost suit-like in its appearance, the collar draped down to his mid-chest, revealing his mesh undershirt. His right hand fell into a small pocket in the side of the jacket. His black pants were of loose material, probably easier to move around in to train the dogs.

_All in all, _Ino thought,_ he's pretty cute._ She smiled invitingly. "So, how long do you think it'll take to train him?" She asked curiously.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He looked back at her with a smirk. "Probably a couple months. I guess I'll have to come every day for the next several weeks."

He watched her smile widen in interest. "Maybe after his training today, we could go out for coffee sometime?" He suggested innocently.

Her laugh, clear and simply jovial, rang out. "Not as subtle as I expected, but I would love to go!"

They smiled, then proceeded to pick the puppy up and leave for their town's dog park.

**(A/N: Not really much else to say… (: If you have any pairing/character requests that you would like me to use, feel free to let me know in a review~ I'll do my best to meet your request and keep them in character. (: I do hope you enjoyed this oneshot!)**


	7. ShikamaruIno

**(A/N: Here you are, everyone! Another oneshot for Challenge! I've been in a rut lately, so I'm trying to get the creativity flowing with these. It's helped a lot, so I'm on my way to work on Mysterious Captivation, and hopefully get something worthy of reading writen. (: **

**Dedicated to/requested by: Echo Uchiha**

**Theme: Rainbow  
Genre: Romance  
Rating: K  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

Rainbow

The day was average, just the way he liked it. As he leaned back at the foot of the tree, he was shaded from the light, yet still able to observe the ever-blue sky above him.

He watched the clouds drip by him in a vast array of shapes and sizes.

The sun, golden and molten, stood watch above him, shifting air and shoving the clouds to another's view.

_You know, the gold color of the sun kind of reminds me of someone_, the lazy Nara thought idly before catching himself. His thought went unfinished as he sharpened his focus on the clouds above.

The wind whistled shrilly for a moment, causing the dark haired young man to violently jerk to his feet. It was a base response to the piercing wail, so similar to that of his mother's voice. _And someone else I know,_ Shikamaru thought, eyes widening as he slit the thought from his mind.

He had been coming out to this rarely used training ground ever since he had graduated from the academy. He discovered it one day while looking for a stray kunai, and claimed it as his when he realized that it was overgrown from disuse.

It was his refuge from outsiders. His thoughts usually stopped when he was in that clearing.

Lately, though, most of the thoughts creeping through his mind never left. They actually increased in his time away from the wearying world.

"Troublesome," he muttered to the air, threading his hands back behind his head and flopping gently back onto the ground.

Trees and jet black bangs shading his narrow brown eyes, the boy looked back into the liquid sky.

Skittering into view, his eyes caught the narrowing velvet colors as they leapt eagerly across the sky.

If memory served him correctly, and it had not taken a liking to being incorrect, then he figured that last night's rain must have caused it.

When those colors skipped across the sky, his rebellious mind flew immediately to the girl with the bright, many colored personality. Her beautiful, platinum blonde hair accented her atmospheric eyes as well as the sun did the sky.

Her personality was typically loud, bright, and bossy, but she also had a kind heart. Although she was brashly loud, _I love her._

He had realized that several weeks ago and did his best to avoid her outside of training ever since. He was unwilling to do anything about the feeling.

His friendship with Ino had been logically weighed against his potential love for her, and had fallen far more important to him. Her place in his life needed to be as permanent as possible, and he would never risk her drifting away because of something he said.

As he thought of her, a whispy blush spread across his cheeks, _the way cirrus clouds spread across the sky._

He gazed up at the rainbow, wondering what she was doing while he thought of her.

Light steps intruded upon that curiosity as his eyes brought their lids together. He breathed audibly, pretending to be asleep as _her_ familiar chakra broke through the trees's barrier.

"Shika-kun?" She quitely asserted.

He didn't twitch a muscle, keeping his charade perfectly in place.

He listened to the girl sigh. "You're asleep again. What am I going to do with you?" Her speech continued quietly, ending in a whisper.

Footsteps moved closer to him, getting clearer and more pronounced as they moved. "Why have you been avoiding me lately? I miss you so much," her voice wavered, sounding dangerously close to tears.

She moved further forward, then knelt at his side. He felt her fingers brush through the bangs that hovered over his eyes. "Did you notice the rainbow before you fell asleep? It's beautiful," she moved her hand from his hair, shifting so that she could lay down beside him.

Twining her hands in her own hair, she relaxed against the tree. Her breaths evened out as she let the warmth of the sun and the young man beside her lull her into security.

He listened to her light, airy sigh. Her breaths slowed as time passed, showing him the first signs of her slipping away from the waking world.

After a time longer than he would have waited for any other person, Shikamaru stood and twisted the stud earring that Asuma had given him. "How could I miss it?" He whispered, taking a small step backward.

A crackle lit about the clearing, showing his lack of attention as a precursor for the sound.

The stick beneath his boot broke down the middle, jerking his eyes from the young woman to the ground. He moved his eyes back to the foot of the tree, only to find the blonde standing with accusations sharp on her tongue. "Shikamaru-kun, what in the world do you think you're doing? I know you saw me here. You weren't even going to wake me up before you left me _asleep_ here all by myself? I can't believe you!" Her voice, sweet as sugar when she started her rant, ended with a jagged howl. She stalked forward like a lioness hunting for prey.

"I-"

She interrupted him before he could get more than the single syllable out of his mouth. "You've been avoiding me lately, and I want to know why. At first, I thought maybe it was a coincidence. Now, though, you were about to just leave me without waking me. You really are avoiding me. I really need to know why, Shika-kun,"

"Ino-san. You-" He broke off, then reworded his sentence. "I can't tell you right now. Please just trust me," he nearly begged.

"So you're going to be a sissy and shun me, now? I see," she spat, turning on her heel to leave. "When ever you're ready to be friendly again, please, let me know," her sarcastic bite pierced him.

"What would you say if I told you that you may not ever talk to me again if I did tell you why?" He asked, stalling for more time with her even when he knew he shouldn't.

"Shikamaru-kun, I would never do that to you. I love you too much," both pairs of eyes widened as the words slid fluidly from her svelte form and drifted across the clearing. A few moments too late, she added, "As a friend, I mean."

"Now I know you're lying, Ino-san," they stood together, though the clearing seperated them. Green eyes locked with brown, "I can tell you why I've been avoiding you, if you're sure you want to know."

The green eyes narrowed, introspectively making her decision. She moved across the clearing, toward his beckoning hand. "I do want to know."

He waited until he could reach out and gently grasp her hand before he spoke. "I love you. I have for several months. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. It hurt to spend so much time with you, but not really with you," he admitted, bowing his head to look at their entwined hands. "Will you go out with me?"

"I have been attracted to you ever since I realized that aloof and rude are not good traits. You have never been unkind to me, and you're gentlemanly. I would absolutely love to date you, Shikamaru-kun."

He smiled, relieved. "Should we tell anyone, or let them figure it out themselves, Ino-chan?"

She grinned in return. "Let them figure it out. It should be very obvious," she said, kissing him feather-lightly on his cheek, giving him a gentle hug, then pulling him out of the clearing.

"That rainbow is still beautiful, Ino-chan," he said, causing her eyes to fly upward.

The rainbow had disappeared.

**(A/N: Okie dokie! All done with this installment. (: I hope you've enjoyed them so far. I've enjoyed writing them! Let me know about any requests for oneshots that you would like through a review or PM or whatever else you can find. XD Later!)**


	8. Sakura An Uchiha

**(A/N: Okay, so I posted or written anything in about two years, as far as I can tell. This is something that I've had for a long time, and been meaning to finish, but never got around to it. :p Here it is! I like this one, even though it's very dark. I am alive, and I have lots more of these that I've started, got stuck on, and need to finish. Motivate me, maybe, if you want more?**

**Theme: 'Blood'  
Genre: Horror  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.)**

Her hair, already pink, was now a dark crimson. Her body, kneeling in a puddle, was shivering. The liquid was sticky, almost metallic in nature.

Her emerald eyes widened in panic the moment she realized what was happening. She was kneeling in a puddle of freshly drained blood.

It wasn't her first kill – she would know that blood anywhere. Though that ninja's blood would exist forever in the cavernous depths of her conscience, she knew it wasn't his. _Then whose is it?_

It was dark around her, and she couldn't seem to concentrate her chakra. _What is going on?_ The blood shone with a nearly indiscernible, sickly pink light in the near perfect darkness of the room. _Where ever that may be._

She stood up, nearly falling back into the ankle deep puddle as she slipped. The slimy, metallic substance slipped down her arms as they rested at her side, and she heard the _drip, drip, drip_ of it falling from her clothes and fingertips into the main body beneath her.

"What is going on?" she whispered, allowing herself a tone of confusion, bordering on panic. "Whose blood is this?" she nearly shrieked after receiving no answer.

A voice, near her ear, responded in with a whispery breath of air. "It is mine,"

A male. She felt his body beside her. She felt his exhale on her neck as she shivered, both in fear and pleasure, which terrified her. "What do you want with me?" She asked, her voice cracking and quaking.

All she received was a haunting laugh. She sank back to the ground, desperately crying out.

"No one can hear you. No one ever could."

More haunting laughter.

She screamed; a scream full of wailing fear, and then the dim lights?

They disappeared, but the imprint of crimson eyes would stay with her forever.


End file.
